Elevator governor cable swivel



June 7, 1932. G. E. CULP ELEVATOR GOVERNOR CABLE SWIVEL Filed May 51, 1930 559 r 52 4 Z 00/ Z, .ri f

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w w 2% iv 2 5 5 4 W 4 M 5 w Mi r n n. c @w k Patented June 7, 1932 NT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. GULF, OF DALLAS, TEXAS,

ELEVATOR GOVERNOR CABLE SWIVEL Application filed May 31,

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in elevator governor cable swivels.

A governor cable is of the endless type passing over pulleys at the top and bottom of the shaft. The cable, as a rule, includes a connection which is attached to the top of the elevator car. A steel cable such as is used for this purpose, is made up of twisted strands and considerable difficulty, as well as great loss, is encountered by the breaking of the cable between the governor pulley at the top of the shaft and its point of connection to the car, usually near the latter. It is the practice to rigidly attach the cable to the car and constant travel of the cable causes it to twist, particularly while the car is at the bottom of the shaft. As the car goes up the shaft this twisted portion above the car passes over the governor pulley, which is a grooved pulley and consequently the twist is accentuated rather than relieved as the car approaches the top of the shaft. The result of this is that the constant twisting and tightening of the cable a. few feet above the car causes the cable to break and as such cable cannot be spliced, it must be thrown away and a new cable put in its place.

One object of the invention is to interpose a swivel connection between the top of the car and the adjacent end of the cable there above, thus permitting the cable to freely turn in either direction and preventing twisting thereof.

A further object of the invention is to include an anti-friction bearing in the swivel so as to permit the cable connection to freely rotate while under a strain.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawing in which an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevation showing a governor cable including a swivel connected in accordance with the invention,

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the swivel 1930. Serial No. 458,136.

connection, partly in section and partly in elevation,

Figure 3 is a view 2, and, Figure 4 is a detail of'the clamp.

In the drawing the numeral 10 designates a governor pulley at the top of the elevator shaft and 11 the standard on which said pulley is ournaled. An endless cable. 12 passes at right angles to Figure overthe pulley lOand also around the pulley 13 at the'bottom ofthe shaft journaled in a hanger 14 which suspends weights 15, whereby the cable is kept taut. Sixteen (16) indicates the elevator car, 17 the crosshead and .18 the bracket carried by the crosshead and to which the cable16 is usually fastened rigidly andincapable of turning or freeing itself when twisted. i j

In carrying out the invention a link 19 is provided with bosses 20 on each side, which are engaged in the clamp 18. The link has the usual cable socket 21 at its lower end in which the leaded end of the cable 12 is secured in the usual manner! The link19 has a tapered socket 22 at its upper end receiving a cone nut 23 mounted on the screw-threaded shank 24 of a swivel yoke 25. The shank enters the upper end of the socket and the nut is fastened on the shank by a cotter key 26. When a pull is exerted downwardly on the link 19 the nut 23 will be wedgedinthe sock'et 22, thus holding the yoke against rotation.

The end of the cable hanging from the pulleylO'is inserted in the tapered socket 27 of a hanger 28. The end of the cable is leaded in the socket in the usual manner practiced in this art. The hanger has a reduced cylindrical shank or stem 29, which has a rotating fit in an aperture 30in the top plate 31 of the yoke 25. p

The yoke is open on each side and the underside of the plate 31 is flat to receive a circular thrust washer 32 surrounding. the stem within the yoke. This washer has a ball track 33 receiving'bearing balls 34, Which are supported in a circular race 35 in a hearing collar 36. The collar 36 is carried by a washer 37 resting on a nut 38 screwed onto the stem 29 and held by a jam nut 39. The

usedon the elevator.

jam nut is fastened in place by a cotter key 40.

It will be seen that the cable 12 will pull the stem 29 upwardly in the yoke, thus main taining the ball bearings in position but permitting said hanger to freely rotate. By this means a swivel is formed and it is obvious that the cable 12 betweenthe yoke and the pulley 10 is free to rotate. As the car goes up the shaft, any tendency of the cable to twist or wind up is defeated by the rotation of the hanger in the yoke: and this is particularly true as the car reaches the upper end of the shaft and-the hanger is within a few feet of the pulley. The ball bearing connection is quite important because any binding between the stem and the yoke would be fatal to the results sought. The cable is. held tautfby the weight 15 and, therefore,

the ball bearings are necessary.

Experiments have, shown that acable with thisswivel connection will last indefinitely, whereas the life of the usual governor cable is comparatively short, in many instances about one-fourth the life of the other cables When theelevator car 16 reaches the top of the shaft cable 12 between the swivel and the pulley 10Ywill be found to be flexible and free from twists. It will not twist and become stifi and break when passingover the pulley as is usually the case. There will be no tendency to crowd the strandstoward the pulley and twist the cable owing to the wedging of the cable in the, groove of the pulley. The swivel connection will defeat. all of the foregoing'twists, strains, crowding, winding. andbreaking.

Various changes in the sizeand shape of the different parts, as well as. modifications and alterations, may be. made within the scope of the appended claims.

What 'I claim, is:

1. In, an elevator governor cable swivel, a lower memberfor attachment to one end'of the cable as well as to an elevator car, a yoke having. its shank securedztosaid member, ,a hanger: having a socket at its upper end for receivingtheelevator cable, and astem eX- tending from the hanger and rotatablyconfinedin the yoke.

2. The combination set fort-h in claim 1, includingan anti-friction bearing withinthe yoke andmeans on thev stemof the hanger for.- engaging said bearing.

3. Thecombinationwith anelevator car, a bracket carried thereby and a clamp secured to the bracket; of a link carried 'by the clamp andhavingmeans at one end forsecuring. a cable thereto, ayoke having a reduced shank-secured to the other end of the link, a hanger having a stem extending through thertop of the yoke, a ,fasteningsecured on the stemwithin the yoke, anti-friction bearing means surrounding the. stem withinlthe yoke between the fastening and the topof the yoke, whereby therhangerv is GEORGE E. CULP. 

